George Barris Batmobile up for auction in Scottsdale: Barrett-Jackson to sell Lincoln Futura-based TV car

The 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car that was heavily modified by George Barris to become the 1966 TV Batmobile will cross the block at Barrett-Jackson's Scottsdale auction on Saturday, Jan. 19.

“The 1966 Batmobile by George Barris is one of the most famous Hollywood cars in history, and it has become a true icon that has been carried from generation to generation of Batmobiles,” said Craig Jackson, chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson.

The Futura concept was designed by the Lincoln Styling Department and was built by Ghia Body Works in Turin, Italy. The car was meant to be a rolling laboratory and included steering-wheel instruments, a push-button transmission, exterior microphones and a handful of other non-caped-crusader devices. After it appeared in It Started with a Kiss, the car was bought by customizer Barris.

In 1965, 20th Century Fox and Greenway Productions tapped Barris to produce a Batmobile for the upcoming TV series. It only took Barris 15 days and $15,000 to transform the Futura.

The car houses a 390-cubic-inch V8 with a B&M hydro-automatic transmission. Gadgets—which we assume are disabled—include the nose-mounted cable-cutter blade, Bat Ray projector, Batscope, police band cut-in switch and many more.

“There are only a few things in life that are able to capture the soul of an era, and the Batmobile by George Barris did exactly that,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson.